The stretch of Broadway near the Mayan Theatre — say, between Second and Alameda avenues — has been blooming for years now. But new, hip restaurants still pop up, art galleries open, bars stay full.

It’s always had a seedier element, with homeless people and hustlers passing through, but the borderland between north and south Broadway is always changing.

One of the latest additions — along with the definitely not-seedy Sweet Action Ice Cream (52 Broadway) — is Sketch (101 Broadway, entrance around the corner on First Avenue). A refreshingly simple wine bar, Sketch is another member of the M Inc. family, along with Colfax Avenue haunts Mezcal (3230 E. Colfax Ave.) and Rockbar (3015 E. Colfax Ave.).

True to the spirit of those hangouts, Sketch has a cool atmosphere and a relaxed vibe. At a wine bar, that last bit is a relief.

The wine list — with juice by the bottle and the glass — is relatively short. The bartenders know what they’re serving, though, and are quick to offer a helpful taste.

Sitting at the bar can be rather hilarious, especially if you end up on one of the “loveseat” barstools. It requires some teamwork and close contact, so choose your seatmate wisely.

The room is quite small, great for hunkering down with friends for a good talk. There’s a small menu of cheese and salumi at the moment, though that will eventually expand.

If some of this sounds familiar, it should. This is the second version of Sketch.

“We all loved the original Sketch,” she says, “but this is way more along the lines of what we really wanted Sketch to be.”

Theil says the M Inc. crew came up with the Sketch idea after a rambling adventure through California, including plenty of stops for wine along the way.

A bar in San Francisco stood out, “this tiny place with loud music, full of really hip, cool wine kids.”

The new Sketch is bringing a taste of that to Denver — it’s “the California wine experience,” says Theil.

Sitting in Sketch on a Saturday night, watching a cluster of wine lovers at the bar joke quietly with the bartenders, one can easily imagine a genteel night in San Francisco.

Then, one of the bartenders busts out his fire-eating skills, and it’s a reminder: We’re in Denver, across the street from the Broadway Big Lots, and it’s midnight. Thank goodness.

Another good reason to stop by: Sketch hosts its first wine tasting since opening in March on Monday at 4 p.m.

He’s so bad.

Beta’s bumpin’ as usual this weekend. On Saturday, “America’s favorite house DJ,” Bad Boy Bill, brings a little Chicago love to the dance floor. Advance tickets are $15 at fla.vor.us/groovetickets.

You can get in for free, though: Before 10:30 p.m., the first 150 people who bring a printout of their likeme.net. profile get their cover charge waived. Unless you’re under 21 — then cover’s reduced to $5. It’s still a deal.

Old beer, new beer.

Guinness first came to America 43 years ago, and not much has changed since. But tonight, Guinness celebrates 250 years of deliciousness by introducing 250th Anniversary Stout to the States, and one of the first kegs is being tapped in Denver.

Sean Swarner, the first cancer survivor to summit Mount Everest, will start the beer flowing at 5 p.m. at Fado (1735 19th St.). Stop in for a pint of the new brew.